Process of settling coal dust



April 14; 1931f G. R. WOLF 1,800,583

PROCESS OF' SETTLING COAL DUST Filed May 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Wm j i 161 /T //0 h j 29 I (rr N f* 27 2e `/26 g5 20 Il Mw i f vE-I eorgep. V707:

by Nys- April 14, 1931. G. R. WOLF' 1,800,583

PROCESS OF" SETTLTNG COAL DUST Filed May 20, 1927 2 Shee's--S1*lee1l 2 4 I yg;

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 NETE@ STATES Parana onirica PROCESS OF SETTLING COAL DUST Application filed May 20,

My invention relates to a method of settling coal dust and the like.

In the past, householders and other consumers of coal have experienced considerable hardship and trouble with coal dust. Especially is this true in the case of the soft or dust coal, commonly called Pocahontas coal. Even the slightest agitation of the coal in the bin will result in a cloud of dust, which is either scattered or carried throughout the house.

Now, obviously, each time a truck of coal is delivered to the consumer, the dust created by the discharge of the coal into the bin will he scattered throughout the basement of the house and even into the upper floors thereof.

This dust not only entails considerable additional work on the part of the householder,

but also necessitates the closing of all the 2U doors leading from the upper floors to the basement or floor in which the coal bin is located. Moreover, the coal dust thrown into the air is breathed into the lungs of the people occupying the house, which is not onlyv detrimental to the health of these people, but is very uncomfortable and unpleasant to them.

I have found that no matter how wellthe walls of the bin are constructed, still the dust will escape from the bin either around or under the door leading to the bin, or through any other available crevices in the wall. Also, it is to be notedthat this coal dust has value as fuel and that if it could be economically saved, the given heat value of each unit or ton of coal would be augmented.

The object of the present invention is to provide an economical method of and apparatus for settling the coal dust in the bin and for preventing it from escaping therefrom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive portable device adapted to be used in conjunction with the delivery of coal into a bin to settle the coal dust inthe bin. This device is of such a construction that it may be carried about with facility on the conventional coal truck. It Vmay also be readily installed in the coal bin preparatory to the discharge of the coal from the truck into the bin. In fact, I propose utilizing 1927. Serial No. 192,820.

my invention in connection with a service to be rendered to coal consumers. For this service a nominal charge can-be made of, say twenty-five cents a ton. It will be evident that many housewives would much rather pay the twenty-five cents a ton extra than to have to contend with the coal dust which settles throughout the house.

Also, I desire it understood that although my invention is particularly useful in` connection with the delivering of coal, it is not to be limited in this single application for, obviously, it could be used to settle other forms of dust without deviating from the features of the invention. Therefore, the invention should only be limited by the scope and spirit of the appended claims. y

` Other objects and advantages of my invenl tion will more fully appear from the follow.- ing detailed description taken in connection 7G with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodimentsthereof, and in which: i

Figure l is a fragmentary view, partly in section, illustrating the manner in which my novel device is connected to a coal bin;

Figure 2 is a plan view, partly in section, with the construction shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating` a modified application of my in- 39 vention Figure 4f is a fragmentary sectional plan view of a modification of the invention; V

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of `a modified application of my invention, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional plan view illustrating another modification of the invention.

It is thought that my novel process will 99 be fully understood from the following detailed description of an apparatus capableof performing it.

In the drawings: y

Like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.` The reference numeral 10 designates Vgenerally a coal bin'defined on one side by a wooden board wall 11 and on the other three sides by` solid Walls 12, 13 and 14. The wall 12 is prow Thevvvallrlll -isprovded atfone end withV al v"slanting portion? 15 havingV an opening ll through' which coal maybe discharged into ythe coal binlO. This opening-,llfinaybe Vclosed byany Vsuitable meansfsuch as., `for Lexainpl@`l a Qclesure member 17. The coalpile is designated Vthe reference characterQOI This coal'isde- "inY af manner fWell known to coal consumers.

Obviously5' Witheach deliveryof coal; into V the bin, considerable coal dust Will beset lfree V'into the atmosphere. YIfitiWere notffor present inyehtiom the coal dust would `seep through the cracks lo'etvszeenthehoardsvcom@l :fpis'ingffwali 1 1 methroughwe .opemnasr about-the ldoor'141iI itoftlie 100 I I71" 0rrooins-jad'fy joiningthe bin 1Q;y Since the'coalbin is usu- "ally locatedf'inf the basement 0f 'the house, l

have illustrated i luy invention Vas applied to such bin in theqbsement bf 1e ,buildingsv `V The Space or rfooinon the exterior ofthe vhin' tlfalifftothe lhealth of theV housewife.,`

vsc cket. Inoperation,.the blower or fan 26 Will gn1 m11-gfV` by' the vcracks inthe board Wall l1 andin the` liyere'd Vinto lthe Vloi-1ilthreugh-- tlie' opening 16; openings; around doorv 14.-" Tl1is Vinrushingair h-as' p os i'tiuieltlIe'rein' a furnace 21V of 2any conventional:construction Willbev more 'fullyjdescriled.liereinafter, Inyportableiconj f fact, the'coalllcompany making the delivery might even lgo soffarv as to provide such Y portable units so as toenable theperforniance of anY 'additional se'r yi cef` toY their customers. i They ordinary housewife Wouldl gla j ll f pay.;V an'faddtnal. twe'iityfve centszatoifbr thisf vservice'ya ther than to Vgo tliroughfthejhard I 'ships and troubles; usually:"experienced'by the, spreading ofthe coal dust.v throught;ut

to berinsert'ed Vin rany:'standardV electrical function tosuck air frorn theinteirior of the bin.This air Will be discharged through the tionalair Will be forced'into thebinthrough neously with Vthe 1 deliveryof` coal y'into the. bin; ItV will "be evident" that thev dust in the coalfwillbe forced' downwardlyjdue to the inru'sh of air created 'ley the suctienf of Vthe fan. As a' result Tof this inru'sh` of. airpractically all'go'f the coal dustjwillbeforced downwardly Withthe coal ontotlie lioor of;

the loin, and hence no appreciable ainountof dust Will befreetoleave thegbin, j

bin prior tothe ydelivery-of coal thereto'. In

Aininating a conyentional 'plug SZfadapted Y pipeline 3l into the chimney-22; 'Obviously, Vby sucking Aair from the coalbin 10,Y addiinstalled infthebin Iloy the'jcoalftruclrer p ri'or. Y toel-iminatethe same, if for no otherreas'on* to the deliveryof Vcoal-'and*may 'befrelnoyed Y Plshedljl tending*` Vout:ofjtliej 'bin through theopening ,16: -Thefexternalendl;v ofi-the. 'line lmayi terminateilia bagBQ.. This .lforinof the in; J vetnggmay be used '-"Wle're' there iS lO lis chimneyin p-roxirnityfto theco'albin., l Iff it is se desired, the unit 25, as'fslioufn in Figurefmay bemounted'in the space 1 OfoIrtlleexteriorof the loin 10. T h'eeunit 25.,

in this 'event may loe suitably fastenedftothe Walllfwithfthez'intake openingjSO ofl the blowen 26 disposed inlignnient?with,an grate fl the-furnace andi thus indirectly chargejpipeline 3l Of, the :uniti 251is'c'onnected f Nom obtienen theunwsliown infie-.f

ure 4 will function to suck air from the bin 10. This air will pass through the blower 26 and will be discharged into the dust collector 53. The air, after passing through the collector 53, is projected into the space 50. It will be evident that a subnormal pressure will be created in the bin 10, and an abnormal pressure will be created in the space 50. This means that the air will rush in from the space 5() into the bin 10 to take the place of the displaced air in the bin, and in so doing will force the particles of dust to the floor of the bin. The advantage of this construction is that the circulation of air between the space 50 and the bin 10 is increased due to the abnormal pressure in space 50.

The modified use of the invention shown in Figure 5 is substantially like that shown in Figure 4, with the exception that the pipeline 3l of unit 25 is connected directly to the grate of the furnace 21 and discharges into the chimney through the furnace. The blower 26 of unit 25 will function to suck air from the bin l0 and to deliver the displaced air to the furnace 2l in space 50. This results in a subnormal pressure being created in bin and causes an inrush of air into the bin.

Instead of sucking air from the bin 10, it is also within the contemplation of my invention to force air into the bin for the purpose of causing the dust to settle therein. This modified use of the invention is shown in Figure 6. A unit is disposed on the outside of the room and has its pipeline 31 extending through a window disposed in communication with space 50. The intake opening 30 of blower 26 is disposed in communication with the atmosphere and is adapted to suck air into the blower 26, which forces the air into pipeline 31. The air under pressure in pipeline 31 is discharged into the space 50,V as shown in Figure 6 by the arrows. This discharged air penetrates the cracks and openings about door 14 and enters the bin l0. Obviously, the air under pressure enterA ing bin 10 will force the coal dust within the bin to settle on the floor thereof, thus preventing the spreading of the coal dust. The motor 27 of the unit 25 shown in Figure 6 may be connected to any suitable source of electrical power.

Now, I desire it understood that although I have illustrated and described in detail the preferred forms of my invention, the invention is not to be thus limited, but only in so far as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1.V The process of sett-ling coal dust and the like in a bin which consists in discharging the dust into the bin, contemporaneously sucking air from said bin and causing the incoming dust to drop to the bottom of the bin by the eifect of the air rushing into the bin to take the place of the displaced air.

2. The process of settling coal dust and the like in a coal bin with non-airtight walls while coal is being delivered therein which consists in creating an abnormal air movement condition in the bin contemporaneously with the delivery of coal into the bin and utilizing said air movement condition to cause conflicting air current to seep into the bin through openings and the like in the walls of the bin whereby eddying air currents are set up in the bin causing floating coal particles to settle within the bin.

3. The process of settling coal dust and the like in a coal bin having non-airtight walls which consists in creating an abnormal air condition in the bin contemporaneously with the delivery of coal into the bin and utilizing said abnormal air condition to cause the air about the walls of the bin to be drawn or forced in a direction toward the interior of th-e bin through openings and the like in the walls thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

GEORGE R. WOLF. 

